Jobless rate still 11 percent; jobs up by 1,600

Published 9:30 am, Friday, April 15, 2011

The unemployment rate in Southeast Texas remained at 11 percent for March, no change from February, but employers added 1,600 jobs, the Texas Workforce Commission reported.

Most job categories showed improvement, but the entire labor force also grew, which is what kept the jobless rate from declining.

The biggest gains were in trade, transportation and utilities, which added 400; mining, logging and construction, which added 300; and leisure and hospitality, also adding 300.

Other gains were in manufacturing, 100; financial activities, 100; professional and business services, 200; education and health services, 100; and government, 100.

That's a total of 1,600 added jobs from February to March.

The labor force grew to 190,400 in March from 188,800 in February, an increase of 1,400 people who are available for work, the commission reported.

The number of employed increased by 1,400 and the number of new jobless also rose by 200 to reach 21,000, the commission reported.

The figures count people who are living in Jefferson, Hardin and Orange counties who are working. Discrepancies will arise from people out of the area who work here or because people who live here work out of the area.

In Texas, the jobless rate was 8.1 percent for March, an improvement from February's 8.2 percent. The United States jobless rate for March was 9.2 percent, down from 9.5 percent in February.